CALL TO ACTION: Calling all Oath Keepers members! We need you to help prevent criminal vote fraud and attempted criminal voter intimidation on election day, 2016 (and during early voting). The Constitution promises and guarantees a “republican form of government” and the very heart and soul of a republican form of government is the people’s right to elect their representatives. Without a clean election, the Republic is dead, and there is no hope of resurrecting it through conventional, peaceful, political means.

Under our oath to defend the Constitution, we Oath Keepers have a responsibility to help police ensure the free and fair election process is not stolen from the citizens of the United States of America. To this end, our significant capabilities in conducting covert operations, intelligence gathering, and investigation can and should be leveraged to counter actions of any political party or criminal gang that attempts to disenfranchise the citizens of our nation.

In the wake of the undercover investigative videos from Project Veritas, we now have smoking-gun confirmation that organized vote fraud has been going on for decades and will be attempted this election as well. On those videos, Scott Foval, Deputy Director at People for the American Way, was filmed stating:

“It doesn’t matter what the legal and ethics people say, we need to win this motherf%&#er.

….

It’s a very easy thing for Republicans to say, ‘well they’re bussing people in.’ Well you know what? We’ve been bussing people in to deal with you f%&kin’ a%$holes for fifty years and we’re not going to stop now, we’re just going to find a different way to do it.”

(edited for offensive language).

As “Navy Jack” ably documented in his companion article on vote fraud, what Scott Foval is boasting about is a well-orchestrated campaign of criminal vote fraud on an industrial scale.

We are also greatly concerned about possible attempts to intimidate voters and prevent people from being able to cast their legitimate vote, such as was carried out by the New Black Panther Party in Philadelphia in 2008.

New Black Panther Party Members, Armed With Clubs, Outside Polling Station in Philadelphia, 2008

There were also some incidents of assaults against anti-Trump protesters at Trump campaign rallies, but as the Project Veritas hidden videos show, many if not all of them were orchestrated by Clinton operatives. Regardless, we can expect to see attempted voter intimidation on election day.

What we need you to do: Therefore, we call on you to form up incognito intelligence gathering and crime spotting teams and go out into public on election day, dressed to blend in with the public, without any Oath Keepers hat or T shirt on, and with video, still camera, and notepad in hand, to look for and document suspected criminal vote fraud or intimidation activities, by any individuals, groups, or parties, and then report those incidents to your local police.

Do NOT attempt to stop the suspected criminal activity or confront those committing it. Just spot it, document it, and report it to local and state law enforcement, encouraging and helping them to do their jobs.

In particular, we are calling on our retired police officers, our military intelligence veterans, and our Special Warfare veterans (who are well trained in covert observation and intelligence gathering) to take the lead and apply their considerable training in investigation, intelligence gathering, and fieldcraft to help stop voter fraud. We ask that those most highly trained and experienced Oath Keepers members form up the intel gathering and crime spotting teams, and then lead those teams of Oath Keepers on election day. Rank and file members are, of course, encouraged to participate, and please do also invite your friends and family to help, but please let our most experienced LEO/military experts in your local chapters provide you with leadership and guidance on how to do it right.

I asked a video panel of some of our police officer leadership for their guidance. Here is that video:

VIDEO GUIDELINES AND ADVICE FROM OATH KEEPERS POLICE LEADERSHIP

In the above video, you will hear the advice of some of our most experienced police leaders on how to spot, document, and report criminal vote fraud and intimidation. The panel includes: two recent additions to the Oath Keepers National Board of Directors – current serving police academy instructor, John Karriman (one of our team leaders in the Ferguson operation) and current serving Montana LEO, Greg McWhirter. We also have Ernest Bridges, recently retired from the Jacksonville, FL Police Department, who now serves as our Florida state LEO Liaison; and Duncan Simmons, a police and USMC veteran who serves as our Louisianan state leader, and as one of the leaders of our new national Oath Keepers Highway Recon Team (HRT) Trucker Division.

WRITTEN GUIDELINES AND ADVICE:

Do NOT wear any Oath Keepers gear, such as hats, T – shirts, or pins. Dress incognito, as if you were undercover. Make sure you blend in with the public and are not visually identifiable as an Oath Keeper member. Also, do not identify yourself as an Oath Keepers member to anyone except law enforcement (if asked). If confronted by anyone other than a police officer, simply state that you are a concerned American who is watching for possible illegal activity. If you wear Oath Keepers gear, you can expect to be accused by partisan Democrat activists and the media (essentially the same thing) of attempted voter intimidation, even though your purpose and intent is exactly the opposite – to help police prevent such intimidation by any and all who may attempt it. Do not make it easy for leftist partisans to attempt to twist this around on you and on this org.

Blend in. Dress to blend with the crowd. That may mean wearing a Bob Marley, pot leaf, tie-die peace symbol, or “Che” GuevaraT -Shirt, etc. (we have plenty of long-haired, former “Hippy” Vietnam Veterans, for example, who can easily do that), or it may mean wearing working-man Carhartt pants and a plaid shirt. Dress in whatever manner you think will help you blend in, depending on where you live and your local social environment. But please don’t dress in cammo pants or shirt, like a wanna-be militia member. Take another look at the New Black Panther jokers, above, with their [paramilitary “uniforms” and ridiculous black berets, and remember that they were initially prosecuted (though later inexplicably cut loose by the DOJ) and do not be “that guy” – and enforce that among your team. Remember, this is about being the incognito gray man or woman who is overlooked and forgotten, totally blending in, and not about trying to impress anyone or make a fashion statement. Dress to NOT impress. Let’s make it hard on the criminal bad guys to know if they are being observed and filmed as they commit the crimes of vote fraud and intimidation. Due to the recent disclosures of planned vote fraud by Clinton operatives, we are, indeed, most concerned about expected attempts at voter fraud by leftists, but we will spot, document, and report any apparent attempt at vote fraud or voter intimidation by anyone, of whatever party, as is our duty. Dress accordingly. Blend.

Invite your family and friends to participate. While we do want you to follow the leadership and guidance from your more experienced police and intel trained military veterans in your local chapter, that doesn’t mean you can’t also invite your family and friends to help out. The little gray haired Grandmother, your aunt and uncle, your niece and nephew, etc, can all help you out. As John Karriman put it, “even someone elderly or sporting a handicap rear-view hanger can make observations. We’re not storming any beaches here…”

Work as a team. A team of at least two or three is best for your own safety and also for effective observation. If you do happen to split up while working, try to maintain visual contact with each other, even at a distance.

Be scrupulous in obeying all federal, state, and local election laws. Be sure you know the election laws of your state, and obey them in detail. Be aware of restrictions on firearms near polling places, and be mindful of the restrictions on guns in or near “school zones” since many polling places are in schools. We do NOT want open-carry (remember, again, that this is a covert operation) but if you carry a gun concealed for self defense, be aware of the restrictions on doing so near schools and also of the restrictions on doing so near or inside a polling place. Be sure you know the laws in your state, and abide by them scrupulously, in detail.

Do not attempt to film inside of any polling place – Film only on the outside, in public. You are looking for suspected vote fraud activities, such as groups of people going from one polling place to another, voting multiple times. Filming them going to and from, and possibly discussing what they are doing, is sufficient. Report suspected fraudsters to local police and nearby, on-site election officials. One of our more experienced past poll observers, who worked with the Election Integrity Project, in California, stated:

Before we headed out for the day, we had all contact information already programmed into our phones. I put an “A” in front of those contacts, so they stayed at the top. The numbers included our Election Integrity Project contacts, and both business and emergency numbers for the local police and sheriff depts.

Film “incognito” in an undercover manner. Do NOT film in an obvious manner. In general, stay out of view and observe at a distance. Observe and record covertly, report accurately. Use telephoto lenses from inside a vehicle, for both video and still cameras. When in close proximity to people, or when you need to get closer to catch audio, one way is to use your cell phone camera by having your cell phone tucked inconspicuously into a shirt or pants pocket, with the camera lens barely visible above the top of the pocket, so that it acts as a low-profile body-camera, or use a well placed Go-Pro, or a pen camera, or other hidden camera. The retired police officers in your local Oath Keepers chapter who have done undercover work can instruct you on how to go about this. Listen to them, and follow their instructions on how to do it right, and always within the law.

The purpose is to film suspected criminal activity in a low-key, “undercover” manner, so that it is not obvious that you are filming. If it is obvious that you are filming, it will tip off the suspected criminal bad actor and make it harder to document their attempted crimes to support investigation and prosecution by LEOs.

Also, if it is obvious you are filming, you open yourself up to accusations that you are attempting to intimidate voters by openly filming them, despite that not being your intention or purpose at all. If you do it right, nobody should be able to tell you are doing anything different than anyone else out on election day, going to and from.

Be sure to research and obey your state law on filming any private conversations. Some states require the consent of both parties, while other states require the consent of only one, and that one can be you or someone with you. Be sure you know the law in your state on recording, and obey it in detail. Filming public interactions in a public place is generally perfectly legal and protected by our Constitution and laws. But be sure you know your state and local laws, and abide by them in detail.

Be sure you research and obey any restrictions on activities at or near polling places. All states have laws on what can and cannot be done in or near a polling place, such as carrying firearms, filming, wearing political T shirts, campaign buttons, etc, and protesting within a certain distance. Be extremely careful and scrupulous in your obedience to any and all rules, regulations, and laws regarding all activity in or near a polling place.

Be sure you have a designated police liaison who will notify your local police of your intentions, and serve as your Point of Contact with police. Please use your local retired police officers within this organization to serve as your police liaison(s) and point of contact with the local police department, if at all possible (or a local chapter leader). That retired cop will likely be one of your CPT Intelligence Team leaders anyway, so it makes sense for that retired officer to make the preliminary contact with the local PD or Sheriff office, and also with any relevant state law enforcement, investigators, or election officials to inform them that you will be out on election day, incognito, looking to spot, document, and report any suspected vote fraud or intimidation. You don’t need their permission to do so, but it is polite for someone in leadership in your local chapter to let them know you will be out, and to ask for a local contact in the department to most effectively report to if you see something.

Be sure your local police know that your intent is to NOT be a vigilante, as your SOP will be to not attempt to stop any suspected criminal activity, but instead only document it and report it to local LEOs immediately. Also let them know you will turn over a copy of any documentation, including video and still photos, to them. Leave your weapon in your vehicle when “visiting” with LEOs.

Add the local news affiliate to the list of folks to notify, even if they are left-leaning. The same leader who serves as your police liaison can also notify local media that you will be out there, looking for election fraud and attempted voter intimidation, and can handle media interviews (or your chapter leader or designated public information/media liaison). Give local media a printed copy of this call to action and use this list as your talking points. We will also post a press release you can use. Write an editorial for the local op-ed section if what we are doing isn’t covered accurately. If we are libeled, let national leadership know so we can consider legal action.

Preserve your evidence. Be sure you have the ability to make multiple copies of any of your photos and videos to preserve them against loss or destruction. Backup copies sent to other third parties, such as your local Oath Keepers intelligence team leader, or regional and national intelligence leadership, is always a good idea. Preserve your evidence, but also make it readily available to your local LEOs to make their job easier.

Preserve the cover of your team. Even as you do your best to coordinate with local LEOs, be aware that the bad guys who want to commit election fraud will do all they can to identify your team members so they can spot them on election day. Keep that in mind. That is why it is best to have one retired officer and/or local chapter leader serve as an open, publicly identified liaison and coordinator with law enforcement, while the other police and intel trained military veterans in your chapter serve as the team leaders on the covert teams, without disclosing the identities of those team-members until they have the need to report suspected criminal activities. When they file the reports, their cover is potentially blown, but that is OK, as by then it will be too late for the bad guys to do anything to avoid detection, observation, and potential prosecution. Until then, do your best to preserve the cover of your team against discovery by the potential perpetrators of fraud or intimidation. Ask your local Oath Keepers police veterans for specific guidance on all of the above. They know how to do it.

File a Criminal complaint! If you actually witness a criminal act, tell the local law enforcement authorities that you would like to file a criminal complaint. They will likely try to persuade you to merely report the criminal act to a voter fraud hotline. This will not result in prosecution or correction of the issue since such hotlines are merely used to attempt to improve subsequent elections, at most. Sadly, these hotlines effectively do nothing but ensure that those who violate election laws are never prosecuted. Remind your local law enforcement officials that it is their sworn duty to enforce State election laws and to accept the criminal complaint. Reporting an act of voter fraud is no different than if you witnessed a bank robbery or an assault.

If Oath Keepers members file a criminal complaint in their local jurisdiction for any election fraud or intimidation “witnessed” and also encourage all other citizens to do the same, the people can get local law enforcement to do their job even if they are reluctant to do so. If the local law enforcement agency refuses to take the criminal complaint, then they are in violation of Federal law. It is also possible in most states for a county sheriff to intervene should state or county election officials neglect or decline to remedy an issue which could result in election results that cannot be certified. We will post more on this topic shortly, but your SOP should be to actively pursue filing a criminal complaint if you witness suspected crimes.

However, a defective voting machine is not something that a citizen could normally use to file a criminal complaint. If you become aware of a defective voting machine/station, report it to the polling station supervisor and insist on switching to a paper ballot, as is being done here, in Texas.

To file a criminal complaint, you must “witness” the criminal act of a person(s) that resulted in fraud or known inaccuracies in the voting tabulation. Examples include:

Witnessing a person(s) voting multiple times or at multiple polling places.

Witnessing individuals conspiring to conduct election fraud.

Be sure you document and report all suspected acts of attempted vote fraud or voter intimidation by anyone, of any political party, or any group. Oath Keepers is a non-partisan organization, and must remain so, and during this operation we have a duty to help the police prevent and stop any vote fraud or intimidation by either Clinton or Trump supporters, or any other group or ideological camp. Anyone attempting vote fraud or intimidation is committing a crime and is violating the rights of the people, and it is our duty to document and report all such suspected crimes on election day. As stated above, it is the Project Veritas hidden video of DNC/Clinton operatives admitting past systemic vote fraud and articulating a clear intent to do so again, on election day (and supported by all the other evidence outlined in Navy Jack’s article) that is causing us to perform this nationwide operation, but we don’t trust the corrupt political elites who run either of the two “major political parties,” and we are honor-bound by our oaths to report any attempted criminal vote fraud or intimidation by anyone, of any party or ideological orientation. And we will. All Americans have a right to vote in a clean, fair election, and one free from intimidation and fraud, whether you agree with their political views or not, and we must support and defend that right for all.

Do NOT engage in arguments or confrontations with anyone on election day. Your job is to be the “Grey man” (or woman) who blends in with the crowd, and quietly spots, documents, and reports suspected crimes to your local police and election officials. Period. If confronted by anyone, don’t engage. Again, if you get into a shouting match or argument, you can bet that partisan agitators and biased media will attempt to twist it into “Oath Keepers members attempted to intimidate voters.” Disengage and walk away. If a police officer asks you what you are doing, of course tell that officer you are out looking for possible criminal activity. And if that officer asks if you are an Oath Keeper, by all means quietly tell the officer that you are. But if anyone else asks who you are, or what you are doing, say you are merely a concerned citizen who is observing the election, as is your right. Tell them that who you support or what groups or associations you belong to is your own business, and leave it at that, and then walk away. One of our more experienced police officers, who has conducted many undercover operations (an honored member of our “long-haired ‘Hippy’ biker brigade”) had this to say:

Another possible way to handle the situation if you get spotted and someone asks what you are doing, is to be so overt, that you are covert. Perhaps just tell them that you are fascinated with the way people behave at election time and want to document it, (or some other Cock & Bull story). They may think you’re just some nutcase and go away laughing about it, thereby leaving you to continue your work.

But always keep in mind the possibility that once spotted, they may accuse you of attempting to intimidate voters, and act accordingly. Use your best judgment and follow the lead of your police and military intel veterans if that happens. Above all, keep your cool.

Expect potential criminal vote fraud and voter intimidation perps to be paranoid on election day and actively looking for us. Especially after the successful Project Veritas sting, they will be very paranoid about being “that guy” who is the next unfortunate soul caught committing crimes on film, and knowing we will be out in every state actively looking to make that happen will maximize their freakout. That’s great. Maybe that will help encourage them to obey the law and stop robbing other Americans of their right to a clean, meaningful election. But remember your purpose is to spot, document, and report their suspected criminal actions, not to engage in arguments with them.

Film all unavoidable confrontations. If you do end up being confronted by someone, despite your best attempts to avoid it, and they will not let it go and become agitated or potentially violent, it is in your best interest to make sure it is on film so you can prove that you did not threaten them or assault them (and you should expect them to lie and falsely accuse you of just that). At that point, your cover is likely blown, so if you have to, film openly and state that you are filming the altercation for your own protection, but also state that you are now walking away, and do so. It does you no good to stick around at that point, and if you do, you can bet they will try to accuse you of “voter intimidation.”

Keep your cool. Be the “quiet professional.” Again, DO NOT engage in arguments, shouting matches, or physical confrontations. If you are physically attacked, of course defend yourself as is your right within the law, and if someone with you or near you is physically attacked, of course you have a right to defend them as well, but keep your cool and do your best to avoid confrontation. Walk away if at all possible. If your conscience, and simple human decency compels you to go to the lawful defense and aid of another, make sure the cavalry (LEO) is on the way before you interject yourself into a situation where you are preventing harm. Let the dispatcher know what you are wearing. Know your limitations and the limits of your training, and be always mindful that even when you are forced to defend yourself or another against violence or the threat of violence, you can expect to be treated unfairly by the media and potentially by local government, depending on their bias. See this example of what not to do, and learn from it. Which is why your standard operating procedure should be to walk away, if at all possible, while NOT engaging in an argument.

If you get in a confrontation, that means your cover is blown, and the best thing you can do is disengage and go somewhere else, since your purpose is to only spot, document, and report. But the best way to handle someone who is frothing at the mouth and screaming at you is to smile, wink, and walk away. Let them get all spun up. Keep your cool. The criminals will not know who else is watching, so let your undiscovered team-mates carry on while you take a break or relocate somewhere else. You can do no more good by sticking around once your cover is blown. And, if you do stick around, the bad guys will, of course, attempt to accuse you of “voter intimidation.”

Remember why you are there. You are operating as a reconnaissance scout and undercover observer. Nothing more. Let the police do their job, and help them to do it better, by being their eyes and ears on election day. Help them uphold the law, and uphold the Constitution, against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

The purpose of this operation is ONLY to spot, document, and report suspected crime. It is not to attempt to directly stop apparent unlawful activities. That is what we want the local police to do. We are their additional eyes and ears. Our purpose and intent is not to intimidate any voter, or otherwise violate anyone’s civil rights. We respect the rights of all Americans, even those with whom we fervently disagree, to free speech, to peaceably assemble, to protest, to vote, and to campaign for and support the candidate of their choice, so long as they do so within the law. And the laws we care most about helping our police to enforce on election day are the critical laws against vote fraud and intimidation. Let’s get it done!

What else can you do? If it is not too late to do so in your state, volunteer to:

Serve as an Election judge

Volunteer to check IDs (aka receptionist)

Volunteer to serve as a polling station monitor, to help direct people to the polling station, assist them, and enforce the rules.

That’s one of the best ways for getting insider visibility and nipping irregularities in the bud.

Otherwise, the law applies:

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3501.35(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(2) of this section and division (C) of section 3503.23 of the Revised Code, no person who is not an election official, employee, observer, or police officer shall be allowed to enter the polling place during the election, except for the purpose of voting or assisting another person to vote as provided in section 3505.24 of the Revised Code.

(b) As used in division (B)(2) of this section, “journalist” means a person engaged in, connected with, or employed by any news medium, including a newspaper, magazine, press association, news agency, or wire service, a radio or television station, or a similar medium, for the purpose of gathering, processing, transmitting, compiling, editing, or disseminating information for the general public.

Otherwise, you’ve got to keep your distance.

Recommend each state group know all the laws and make sure volunteers are all on board.

If you have general questions, please ask them in the comment section below, but please keep OPSEC in mind, and if it is about specific advice for your team, or related to your team make-up, capabilities, or planned actions in your area, please keep that off of public sites and discussions. At the least use the members-only forum, but even better is to rely on your local and sate leaders, and on their ability to use our greatly improved, and more secure, leadership communication systems for those purposes.

For the Republic, and for a clean election,

Oath Keepers

PS – please spread this call to action all over social media, and send to friends and family, and also feel free to spread the following memes far and wide:

About Author

Stewart is the founder and National President of Oath Keepers. He served as a U.S. Army paratrooper until disabled in a rough terrain parachuting accident during a night jump. He is a former firearms instructor, former member of Rep. Ron Paul’s DC staff, and served as a volunteer firefighter in Montana. Stewart previously wrote the monthly Enemy at the Gates column for S.W.A.T. Magazine. Stewart graduated from Yale Law School in 2004, where his paper “Solving the Puzzle of Enemy Combatant Status” won Yale’s Miller prize for best paper on the Bill of Rights. He assisted teaching U.S. military history at Yale, was a Yale Research Scholar, and is writing a book on the dangers of applying the laws of war to the American people.

"A veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The ''United States of America'', for an amount of ''up to and including his life.''" – Author Unknown"If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace." – Thomas Paine"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.” – Thomas Paine

Veterans, you swore an Oath...

Oath of Enlistment

I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

Officers Oath

I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.

Site Dedication

This site is dedicated to the memory of John William Adams (1925-2006), Marine and Oath Keeper extraordinaire.

John Adams, at the age of 16, lied about his age to join the Marines so he could fight against Imperial Japan in the Pacific. His enlistment date was December 10, 1941, just three days after the attack on Pearl Harbor (see below). As a Marine rifleman, he fought the Japanese from island to island, across the pacific, including at Iwo Jima. We may have good men, but we never had better.

Until his death in 2006, he was a dedicated patriot who still took his oath to defend the Republic deadly serious. May God grant you the courage to do likewise.

Stewart is the founder and Director of Oath Keepers. He served as a U.S. Army paratrooper until disabled in a rough terrain parachuting accident during a night jump.

He is a former firearms instructor and former member of Rep. Ron Paul’s DC staff.

Stewart previously wrote the monthly Enemy at the Gates column for S.W.A.T. Magazine

Stewart graduated from Yale Law School in 2004, where his paper “Solving the Puzzle of Enemy Combatant Status” won Yale’s Miller prize for best paper on the Bill of Rights. He assisted teaching U.S. military history at Yale, was a Yale Research Scholar, and is writing a book on the dangers of applying the laws of war to the American people.